Song

Carvin' The Rock

Various Artists

Song

Carvin' The Rock

Various Artists

Instead of plunking you down into the classic late-1950s/early '60s hard-bop sound the label is most associated with, this box set gives you chronological highlights from seven decades of Blue Note's storied history. This starts off with legends like Coleman Hawkins, Charlie Parker and Gerry Mulligan before moving on to label staples like Art Blakey, Horace Silver and Jimmy Smith. Plenty of room is given over to the current Blue Note roster (including today's pop/rock stars), making this a fine introduction to both the label and the entire era of post-swing modern jazz.